Lessons from Denmark on biosecurity

Our study trip to Denmark earlier this year gave Derbyshire dairy farmer Anne Bradley-Seddon fresh ideas for protecting calf health through better biosecurity. While Britain faces different disease challenges, Knowledge Exchange Manager Sophie Brewster explains simple on-farm changes that can make a real difference.

The trip to Denmark gave Anne and other British dairy farmers the chance to see how one of Europe’s leading dairy nations manages herd health, controls disease and protects youngstock.

Although the UK and Denmark operate under different regulations and face different disease pressures, Anne believes there are valuable lessons that can be applied on British farms.

Anne farms with her husband, David, and son, Asher, on a tenanted dairy farm in Derbyshire.

They milk 300 crossbred cows producing an average of 8,100 litres, with butterfat at around 4% and protein at 3.3%.

They aim to run a profitable, low-stress business with healthy cows and calves. Careful cost control and good herd health are central to achieving that, with a particular focus on controlling Johne’s disease.

Anne was especially interested in learning how Denmark has successfully eliminated diseases, such as:

• Bovine tuberculosis (TB)
• Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR)
• Bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD)

The group received technical briefings from Danish agricultural experts before visiting three dairy farms in eastern Denmark.

One of the first things Anne noticed was the country’s strict approach to biosecurity.

Before travelling, visitors were not allowed any contact with livestock. After arriving, they had to follow a quarantine period of 48 hours before entering farms, with disposable protective clothing and footwear worn at each farm.

It would be difficult to introduce these measures across the UK without wider government support. However, the visit highlighted the importance of improving biosecurity within individual farms.

One of the strongest messages was that calf housing should be treated as a high-priority biosecurity area.

Research presented by Danish advisers showed that simple management practices, such as thorough cleaning and effective disinfection of calf pens and equipment, reduce disease risk.

They also stressed the importance of locating calf housing away from areas where vehicles, slurry or adult cattle could introduce harmful pathogens.

Anne said:

“Protecting the very young calf from exposure to the bad bugs can deliver multiple benefits: to the calf, to morale and to the bank balance.”

The Danish approach also encourages farmers to think carefully about how people, machinery and livestock move around the farm.

Reducing contact between young calves and sources of infection helps protect them while their immune systems are still developing.

Another practical tip was to use foaming washers instead of high-pressure washers when cleaning calf buildings. Foaming detergents reduce the number of bacteria that become airborne during washing, helping prevent disease spreading around the farm.

The trip also explored Denmark’s national disease control programmes. They eliminated TB before the disease became established in wildlife and have maintained strict controls ever since.

The country has also made significant progress in controlling BVD, IBR and Johne’s disease through close collaboration between farmers, vets, researchers and government.

Anne was particularly interested in Denmark’s voluntary Johne’s control programme, introduced in 2006. Although it achieved good results, participation has fallen in recent years as some farmers have focused on other disease priorities.

For Anne, this highlighted the importance of keeping farmers engaged and maintaining momentum if disease control programmes are to deliver long-term success.

Looking back on the trip, Anne believes the greatest lesson was that improving biosecurity does not always need major investment.

Small changes to calf management, cleaning routines and farm traffic can have a lasting impact.

Strong biosecurity protects calf health, reduces disease risk and supports better welfare. It can also improve business performance by lowering treatment costs, reducing losses and helping calves reach their full potential.

For Anne, the message was clear: protecting calves from their first days of life is one of the best investments any dairy business can make.

Follow these simple steps to strengthen calf biosecurity on your farm:

• Use detergent and disinfectant
• Minimise calf contact with adult cows
• Don’t move from adult cows to calves without hand washing and changing boots
• Foam cleaning reduces chances of dirt being aerosolised and spread further
• Think vehicular, animal and human interactions: what routes do tractors take through the farm?